By: Ryan Surmay, Features Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy: Allison Zhang
When St. Bonaventure University students are not spending their nights watching the Buffalo Bills or Bonnies Basketball, they can spend Sunday through Thursday nights at the Richter Center playing intramural sports.
Throughout the academic year, the Richer Center, Bonaventure’s recreation center, hosts a wide variety of intramural sports that are organized by Margot Hickey, the assistant director for intramural, recreational and club sports. In the fall the Richer Center hosts football and dodgeball. In the winter there is 3v3 basketball, pickleball and volleyball. In the spring they have 5v5 basketball, floor hockey and wiffleball.
“I have participated in many different intramurals such as wiffle ball, basketball, floor hockey, dodgeball and pickleball,” Mathew Branco, a junior, said.
Branco has spent his three years, so far, at Bonaventure playing an array of intramural sports at Bonaventure.
“My favorite is dodgeball because of how competitive the games are. Having my closest friends on my team is the best part of intramurals,” Branco said.
Throughout the rotation of a ‘bracket’ format, students will play the same teams across different sports.
“If there was one rivalry that stands out the most is our dodgeball rivalry with the Gombattos,” Branco said.
One team he plays competitively are the ‘Hickey Tav Warriors’, spearheaded by twins Joseph and Jack Gombatto. Branco added that the Gombattos team have eliminated them in the playoffs every dodgeball season.
One of Branco’s dodgeball teammates is Dominic Argenio, a history major. He agreed that his rival team is the Gombattos.
“They never lose,” Aregnio said.
Allison Zhang, a friend of Branco and Argenio, attends all of their intramural games. She does not play but is still part of the community by being in the crowd.
“Intramurals are a good way for me and my friends to unplug from the stress of school and socialize with others,” Zhang said. “During games, I support my friends while also taking my mind off the day I’ve had, whether it’s good or bad.”
While she is there rooting for her friends, Zhang’s favorite game to watch is basketball.
“It’s always exciting to see my friends display different personalities in their positions,” Zhang said. “Everybody plays differently, and I enjoy watching their teamwork, chemistry and energy mold into friendly competition.”
Abigail Hiltz, a junior physical education , is similar to Zhang in that she also attends the games to see her friends.
“I like going to the games because it is a way for us to hang out in a different way outside of our dorms,” Hiltz said.
Hiltz has also participated in her own intramural sports games as a way to relieve her stress.
Regardless of the sport, intramural competitive levels are a common way for students at Bonaventure to take a study break and reset their minds.
